Introduction To Computers

Chapter No 1
Introduction

Shaheer Ahmad Khan

[Link]@[Link]
About the Course

•Course instructor
•Course policies
•Topics to be covered
•GCR code
• Marks distribution
Course Policies:

• 1. Late submissions of assignments will not be accepted, and

email submissions will not be considered.
• 2. Any form of plagiarism will result in an automatic grade of F.
• 3. No re-quiz policy
About the Course

• Text Book:
• Discovering Computer 2020: Digital Technology, Data, and [Link] to Information
Systems, 15th Ed. James O’Brien

• Marakas, George M._O'Brien, James A - Introduction to information systems-McGraw-Hill_Irwin

(2013)

• introduction-to-computers-by-peter-norton-6th-ed
Marks distribution
The Computer
Defined
• In basic terms, a computer is an electronic
device that processes data, converting it
into information that is useful to people.
Any computer—regardless of its type—is
controlled by programmed instructions,
which give the machine a purpose and tell
it what to do.
Input - Processing -
Output

• ✍ Input
•what you type, read, or enter into
computer
•✍ Devices
• ✍ keyboard
• ✍ mouse
• ✍ scanner
• ✍ sensors, etc
Input - Processing - Output

•✍ Output results of computer processing

•✍ Devices
• ✍ screen
• ✍ printer
• ✍ plotter
• ✍ signals, etc.
Input - Processing -
Output

•✍ Storage

•save information for

later processing

•✍ Devices
•✍ memory
•✍ diskette
•✍ hard disk ✍ tape, etc.
•Input - Processing - Output
•✍ Processing changes
the input data via
formatting, sorting, and
calculations

•✍ Devices
•✍ Components on the
motherboard
•✍ CPU, ALU, Memory
Parts of a Computer System

•✍ A complete computer system

includes 4 distinct parts:
•✍ Hardware
•✍ Software
•✍ Data
•✍ Users
Hardware

•✍ A computer's hardware consists of electronic

devices; the parts

you can see and touch.

•✍ The term "device" refers to any piece of hardware
used by the computer, such as a keyboard, monitor,
modem, mouse, etc.
Software

• ✍ Software – also called Programs –

consists of organized sets of instructions for
controlling the computer.

• ✍ Some programs exist for the computer's

use, to help it manage its own tasks and
devices.

• ✍ Other programs exist for the user, and

enable the computer to perform tasks for
you, such as creating documents.
DATA
•✍ Data consists of raw facts, which the
computer can manipulate and process
into information that is useful to people.
•✍ Computerized data is digital, meaning
that it has been reduced to digits, or
numbers. The computer stores and reads
all data as numbers.
•✍ Although computers use data in digital
form, they convert data into forms that
people can
• understand, such as text, numerals,
sounds, and images.
People

•✍ People are the computer's

operators, or users.
•✍ Some types of computers can
operate without much intervention
from people, but personal
computers are designed specifically
for use by people.
Generations of computers
First Generation Computer (1946-1959

• The computers produced during the period 1946-1959 with the them technology are
regarded as the first generation computer. These computers were manufactured with the
vacuum tubes, electronic values, triodes, and diodes etc. as their basic elements. These
tubes were used in the arithmetic and logical operations.

• Advantages:
• They were capable of making arithmetic and logical operations.
• They used the electronic values in place of the key punch machines or the unit records
machines.

• Disadvantages:
• They were too big in size very slow, low level of accuracy and reliability.
• They consumed lot of electricity, generated a lot of heat and break down frequently.
• They had very low storage capacity and used machine language.
Second Generation Computers (1959-1965)

• The computers produced during the period 1959-1965 with technology are known as second
generation computers. These computers used transistors in place of vacuum tubes as their basic
elements to perform all computational and logical works.
•

• Advantages:
• They required very small space, were very fast and reliable and dependable.
• They used less power and dissipated less heat and had large storage capacity.
• They used better peripheral devices like card readers and printer etc.
•

• Disadvantages:
• They did not have any operating system and used assembly languages.
• They lacked in intelligence and decision making and needed constant upkeep and maintenance.
• They handled data processing in batch mode only.
Third Generation Computer (1965-1970)

• The computers developed during the period 1965-1970 are branded as the third generation computers. The
significant features of these computers were that they were built with monolithic integrated circuits each of which
consisted of thousands of transistors and other electronic components on a single crystal.

• Advantages:
• The size was very small in comparison less costly and built with thousands of transistor which were very cheap.
• They used faster better device for storage called auxiliary backing or secondary storage.
• They used operating system for better resource management and used the concept of time sharing and multiple
programming.

• Disadvantages:
• They created lot of problems to the manufacturers at their initial stages.
• They lacked thinking power and decision making capability.
• They could not provide any insight into their internal working.
Fourth Generation Computers (1970-1985)

• The computer that came to the scene with improved technology during the period 1970-1985 is marked as the fourth
generation computers. They used large scale integrated circuits and very large integrated circuits in the form of micro
processor in their memory. These computers enlaced millions of transistors and other electronic components on a
single silicon chip. A micro processor is a single chip which itself can perform the controlling arithmetic and logical
functions of a computer that too at a fast speed.
•

• Advantages:
• They were very small in size and cost of operation was very less.
• They were very compact faster and reliable as they used very large scale integrated circuits.
• They were capable of facilitating the interactive on line remote programming by which one sitting at the distant place
can get his programs executed by centrally located computer.
•

• Disadvantages:
• They are less powerful and had less speed than the main frame computers.
• They lacked thinking power and decision making ability.
• They had less storage capacity and needed further improvement.
Fifth Generation Computer (1985):
• The computers that are emerging after 1985 with further improved technology are considered as the fifth generation
computers. These machines are designed to incorporate “Artificial Intelligence” and used stored reservoirs of
knowledge to make expert judgments and decision like human begins. They are also designed to process non
numerical information like pictures and graphs using them very large scale integrated circuits.
•

• Advantages:
• They are oriented towards integrated data base development to provide decision models.
• They faster very cheap and have the highest possible storage capacity.
• They have thinking power and decision making capability and thereby they will be able to aid the executives in the
management.
•

• Disadvantages:
• They need very low level languages they may replace the human force and cause grievous unemployment
problems.
• They may make the human brains dull and doomed.
• There are three major
categories based on which
computers can be classified.
These are:
1. Based on Size
2. Based on Purpose
3. Based on Types
• Based on mechanism
Types of computers by size

• Classification of Computers by Size

• Supercomputers
• Mainframe computers
• Minicomputers
• Personal computers (PCs) or microcomputers
•Supercomputers • – a powerful computer that can process large amounts of data and do a
great amount of computation very quickly.

• Supercomputers are used for areas related to:

∙ Science

∙ Engineering

∙ Education

∙ Defence

∙ Aerospace

• Supercomputers are useful for applications involving very large

databases or that require a great amount of computation.

• Supercomputers are used for complex tasks, such as:

∙ Weather forecasting

∙ Climate research

∙ Scientific simulation

∙ Oil and gas exploration

∙ Quantum mechanics
 – a high-performance computer used for large information processing jobs.
•Mainframe computers
• Mainframe computers are primarily used in :

∙ Institutions

∙ Research

∙ Academics

∙ Health care

∙ Libraries

∙ Large businesses

∙ Financial institutions

∙ Stock brokerage firms

∙ Insurance agencies

• Mainframe computers are useful for tasks related to:

∙ Census taking

∙ Industry and consumer statistics

∙ Enterprise resource planning

∙ Transaction processing

∙ e-business and e-commerce

Minicomputers

– a mid-range computer that is

intermediate in size, power, speed,
storage capacity, etc., between a
mainframe and a microcomputer.
Minicomputers are used by small
organizations.
“Minicomputer” is a term that is no
longer used much. In recent years,
minicomputers are often referred to as
small or midsize servers (a server is a
central computer that provides
information to other computers).
Personal computers

(PC) – a small computer designed for

use by a single user at a time.
A PC or microcomputer uses a single
chip (microprocessor) for its central
processing unit (CPU).
“Microcomputer” is now primarily
used to mean a PC, but it can refer to
any kind of small computer, such as a
desktop computer, laptop computer,
tablet, smartphone, or wearable.
Types of personal computers

Desktop
– a personal computer that is
designed to stay at one location and
fits on or under a desk. It typically
has a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and
a tower (system unit).
Laptop /
Notebook
• – A portable personal
computer that is small enough
to rest on the user’s lap and
can be powered by a battery.
It includes a flip down screen
and a keyboard with a
touchpad.
Tablet

• – A wireless touchscreen PC that

is slightly smaller and weighs less
than the average laptop.
Smartphone

• – A mobile phone that performs

many of the functions of a
personal computer.
Types of Computer – By Purpose
• On the basis of purpose, there are just two variety of computers. Those two varieties have been
discussed in detail below:
1. General Purpose – Based on General Purpose, there are these following functions which a
device is expected to perform:
1. Basic Input/Output functions
2. Calculations
3. Data Saving on a smaller scale
4. General performing activities
• These may include basic calculators, laptops, desktop computers, mobile phones, etc., which
can help people with their basic necessary functions are included in the General Purpose
computer type.
• Special Purpose – When a computer is designed specifically to perform a certain function, such
type of computers is known as Special Purpose computer. These types may include:
2. Thermometers to test temperature
3. Generators to manage electricity
4. Devices used for analysing Climate Change
5. Large computers for IT Companies
6. Machines used at Manufacturing Units and the list goes on and on
Uses of
Computer